Bolivians Vote to Ratify Radical New Constitution. Election Guide.
According to preliminary results in last Sunday's referendum, more than 61 percent of Bolivian voters cast votes in favor of ratifying a new constitution. While the adoption of a new constitution is hardly novel in Bolivia – this is the country's 17th constitution since it gained independence in 1825 – the newly adopted 50-page document departs radically from its predecessors in its treatment of the country's indigenous peoples and government control of natural resources. The new charter recognizes some 36 indigenous languages, in addition to Spanish, as official languages and allocates seats in the national legislature, now called the "Multicultural Assembly," and the Constitutional Court for representatives of indigenous groups. It also grants indigenous systems of justice the same status as the conventional judiciary, permitting tribal leaders to bypass the courts to judge offenders and dole out punishments according to tribal customs. The new charter also radically expands state control of the economy with provisions declaring state sovereignty over the country's large natural gas reserves, imposing tough penalties against privatization, and making access to water a basic right. Lastly, the charter caps future landholdings at 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) per person and outlaws any land use that is not deemed "socially productive," allowing the state to confiscate and redistribute any such land. With the new constitution in place, Bolivia will now hold presidential and legislative elections under the new constitutional regime on December 6, 2009.
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